Education & Pedagogy

Any activity that involves learning, whether it is for therapeutic purposes, traditional education, or outdoor education, is experiential education. In particular, outdoor educators allow participants to experiment with their behaviour in the form of play, for the most part out-of-doors. Many in the industry refer to play as adventure. Those who combine adventure with therapy name it adventure therapy or play therapy. Engaging in any of the experiences offered by outdoor educators affects participants and staff. This article discusses outdoor education and argues for developing spiritual intelligence.

Current demographics in the United States have made issues pertaining to social justice central to the evolution of physical education as a discipline. With this knowledge, the time to refocus efforts in respect to ensuring equity regardless of ability, race, class, gender, sexuality, or religion has arrived. This article provides information on how to assess need, design curricula, critically reflect, discourse and advance the preparation of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs for a focus on social justice.

This article examines the possibility of a Kantian justification of the intrinsic moral worth of education. The author critiques a recent attempt to secure such justification via Kant's notion of the Kingdom of Ends. He gives four reasons why such an account would deny any intrinsic moral worth to education. He concludes with a tentative justification of his own and a call for a more comprehensive engagement between Kant's moral theory and the philosophy of education for purposes of understanding what constitutes the moral core of education.

Desribes the transformation of science education throughout the last two decades into a specific field of research and knowledge associated with the establishment of the constructivist position. Analyzes some of the current criticisms of the constructivist orientation and studies their implications for the development of science education as a coherent body of knowledge. (Contains 83 references.) (Author/YDS)

A study examined the role of school culture in student transitions to postcompulsory education in Scotland. Findings from 36 focus groups with 152 secondary students, college students, and job trainees indicate that schooling offered limited opportunities for identification with the world of work and for pathways other than staying on, and precluded rather than opened up choice. (Contains 47 references.) (TD)

A study examining Canadian involvement in postsecondary technical or vocational international education since the 1960s surveyed international education practitioners at 61 postsecondary institutions. Respondents felt that international education promoted economic growth in Canada and abroad and had positive effects on recipient nations. The shift in intent from altruism to profit generation reflects current neoliberal philosophies. (TD)

This article examines requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997) regarding participation of students with disabilities in state- and district-wide assessments and access to the general curriculum. It considers implications for change in school district procedures concerning evaluation and reevaluation, Individualized Education Program teams and content, and discipline. Potential areas of challenge are identified. (Contains 8 references.) (DB)

This paper is an attempt to sketch a historical, cultural and social background of recent educational developments in Qatar, briefly review the traditions of western liberal arts education with its goals and teaching and learning methodologies, explain its benefits and their relevance to Muslim Qatari students of universities in Education City in Doha, and mention potential disadvantages of a liberal arts education in Qatar--seen from an intercultural education's perspective and in the context of academic globalization. (Contains 14 notes.)

Monarch High School in Boulder, Colorado, is one of 25 schools piloting the High School of Business program, an accelerated business administration program developed by Columbus, Ohio-based MBA"Research" and Curriculum Center. This article describes the program which uses a heavily project-based pedagogy to teach a curriculum modeled after college business administration programs. MBA"Research" regularly researches business-related careers, higher education, and secondary education as they translate into education standards, curriculum and other custom projects. (Contains 3 endnotes.)

The Education Library at Wayne State University has a long and storied history. From its beginning at the Detroit Normal School to its final merger with the general library, the Education Library has been at the heart of not only Wayne State University, but also in the development of the College of Education. This paper chronicles the history of the library, and the people who created it, from its very beginning to its final place among the volumes of Purdy/Kresge Library.

This article presents the author's message during a graduation ceremony at the University of Pennsylvania. The author talks about the identity of education and stresses that education not only fosters conversation, but it is itself a form of conversation. The author challenges people to engage in conversation about education from multiple perspectives and to recognize that though what people think, say and believe may be very different, there are often common threads through these conversations which they must continue to engage and discuss. (Contains 4 footnotes.)

Since 1999, post-gymnasium education in Poland can be carried out at secondary schools with a basic or extended programme, at technical colleges or at vocational schools. At this stage of schooling, environmental education is conducted in the form of subject teaching, interdisciplinary tracks and in extra-curricular lessons. The aims and tasks of Polish post-gymnasium schools in the field of environmental education are presented in this paper, as is a discussion of the effectiveness of these activities. (Contains 1 figure.)

The educational inequity of rural workers' children is a unique social problem in the transition stage of China. Based on the specific survey in such provinces as Hubei, Henan, Anhui, and other provinces, a conclusion can be drawn that the reasons for the educational inequity of rural worker's children are very complicated, among which the system is the most essential factor. Therefore, institutional safeguards should be provided to realize the education equity of rural worker's children.

In this previously unpublished essay, William W. Brickman complicates the traditional conception of the historical foundations of comparative education--that is, the role of Marc-Antoine Julian as a "father figure." The article examines influences on Julian (by Cesar-Auguste Basset's influential publications, for example) and discusses the methods of comparative analysis before the nineteenth century. The author turns to early notions of educational transfer, focusing on the European educational systems influence on education in America. Most notably, he explores Horace Mann's contribution to the field of comparative education. (Contains 11 notes.)

Knowledge is like food and drink, a necessity of life, the motor of the economy, and a precondition for any social activities. While considering these facts, one cannot fail to notice that education and agriculture have a lot in common. This article reflects on the parallels between agriculture and education. While agriculture started modernizing its methods and tools two centuries ago, education is just in its early phase of modernization. The article analyses agriculture and distils patterns that may be of significance for education.